Thursday, April 29, 2010

I've been working with some talented women that I found over over favorite creative site, Esty.com. They are making me some new lables for some of my products and I am just loving both the labels and them!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

I met these 2 wonderful women a couple years back. Kathy, while she was part of our summer Farmers Market and spinning and selling her yarn at market. Deede, through a friend. She has a Christmas craft party every year and started selling my soaps at her parties. The two of them have come together and designed and built, Bessie's Farm Goods.

Monday, April 26, 2010

I am very very excited to be part of an exciting new local catalog! Those of you that have school age children are familiar with that dreaded time of year, fundraising. Your child comes home with a catalog filled with tins of popcorn or wrapping paper and needs to sell these items to raise money for their school. Wouldn't you like to actually buy something you really want, and support your local businesses? Well I would like to introduce, Close Buy Catalog. A fundraising catalog for Maine Schools

Close Buy has been created by the hardworking talents Masey Kaplan. I met her several months ago while selling my soaps in Falmouth during the Winter Market. She has secured some fantastic products all made from businesses here in Maine. The catalog will come out early November and students from 3 local schools will be taking orders for some very fine products. Just in time for gift giving season, the potential for a high amount of orders is great.

I met with Masey and we decided on some lovely gift sets for her catalog. I will offer a 4 pack of soaps and a 2 pack. My laundry detergent will also be available in the gift catalog.

Thanks Masey for choosing me to be part of your catalog! Now, I'm off to make soap....

(Early Saturday Morning, before the customers arrive, the set up begins in Cumberland)

Here we go! Getting ready for a super Spring and Summer Framers Market season. I will be participating in 2 outdoor markets this year. You can find me selling my soaps....

Wednesdays

Falmouth, Walmart Plaza

12:00-4:00

OPENING DAY MAY 5

Fridays

Freeport, L.L.Bean Campus

3:00-7:00

OPENING DAY MAY 28

I have organized my car to hold all my market "stuff". I have been spoiled selling at the Winter Market in Brunswick. We were able to leave out tables set up, our tablecloths on, display merchandise and our banners hung up. It's not as easy to sell during the summer. My car needs to hold a tent, tent tie downs (in the form of 5 gallon buckets full of cement), 3 tables, a chair, sandwich board (that announces my market specials), soap display buckets, tablecloths, and of course all the SOAP I can possible bring. When I purchased my car a couple of years ago, much of the decision toward this vechile or that, was made depending on if I could fit all this stuff in it.

Setting up for a market is not any small task. The vendors arrive up to 1 hour before market to pop up the tents and tie them down (high winds are not fun), snap on the tablecloths, and display their wares. When the market ends, we take it all down and pack it all back up in the cars for the next market. Now just think that some vendors (mostly the farmers) do this 5 or 6 days a week! We have so many options for selling at a Farmers Market here in Maine, you can, if you want sell 7 days a week. But really, when would you make soap, collect the eggs, plant, harvest, knit, sew, bake, milk the cow, catch the fish, make cheese or (WOW) spend time with your family? Remember how hard your local farmer, artist, craftsmen, baker works to bring these items to the market for you. Thank them for being there and making it soo easy for you to shop local and support your local community!

The Winter Market in Brunswick has ended for the season. All the vendors that were selling at the Market, will now head out to their own individual community markets. Interesting tidbit (I think) is that there were only 6 Winter Markets in Maine this past season. Due to that little fact, the Brunwick Winter Market had vendors from all over the state selling their goods and wares. I met a fantastic and eclectic group of artists, farmers, woodworkers, crafters and bakers, and it was wonderful spending my Saturday mornings selling alongside them. But off we go, back to our own communities. During the warmer months, many many towns across Maine hold there own outdoor markets.

We all hope to be back next year, same place, same day, same time. Crossing our fingers that the space will still be available for us to rent. I would think that we are some super awesome tenants. We are there only 1 day a week, for only about 6 hours on that one day, and for 6 straight months!

Good luck to all my fellow Winter Market vendors! May the Spring and Summer months be wonderful for you!

My signature soaps, Mermaids Garden, has been super popular lately. It smells very clean and has some green fragrance to it. I stir in real seaweed, Maine sea salt and clay, for gentle exfoliation and polishing your skin. I like to think that maybe this is what a Mermaid might put in her bar of soap.

Head over to the website if you would like to purchase a bar or two of your own :

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

My friend Paula is visiting Syria right now and she is chronicling her vacation on her blog with post and pictures. To my surprise just the other day she posted that she stopped by and visited a soap factory! How neat! I included 2 of her pictures here and a little bit of her post.

The soap cave! Look at all the curing bars of soap!

So, I'm thinking that these barrels maybe hold the oils for the soaps?

This is what she said:

"Handmade olive oil soap is one of the locally made products that Syria is famous for. Actually, you might not realize but outside the cities there are many Olive orchards…. It was interesting to see this “factory” as by no means is it what you would think when you say factory back home. The soap making is done in the winter, cured during the spring/summer and sold in market during the fall. When we were there, the factory was in the curing phase, so I didn’t get to see it fully operational. What I found intriguing was that they lay paper on the floor that has been divided by metal railings/guides. They pump the liquid soap up to the second floor and spread the liquid into the divided sections. Once hard enough they cut the soap BY HAND and stack BY HAND. Now I think you can get an idea from my pictures how much soap is there. That is a lot of manual labor to do that. The soap is cured to different levels".

Wow! How cool that she saw such a massive production of soap. I make only 8 pounds at a time, each batch yielding 28 bars of soap. My technique is similar to theirs, as I pour the liquid soap into molds, once "hard" I cut the soap by hand and stack it by hand to cure. I will have to ask her how much a bar of soap cost, if they have different fragrances and is it a locally embraced product (do they use it) or is it all for export.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

I have been making alot of vegetable sushi rolls lately and was looking for a side dish that was different. I wanted some sort of noodle dish, but not the usual peanut noddles, something new. So, modifying a couple of recipes found online, I made up these Garlic Noodles. They are soo good, try them soon! Serve with grilled chicken or steak, and I'm sure they would be good cold too. Easily can be doubled. Don't count on leftovers, it's hard to not go back for seconds.

Friday, April 16, 2010

I now have some tabs at the top of the blog, right up there, see them, under the header? They lead you to pages on the blog. You can click on Where To Find, Question You Ask and Meet Your Soap Maker. Click, click, click away and learn more about Casco Bay Soap Co.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Casco Bay Soap Co. soaps were generously donated by a customer to be part of a "green" gift basket in Rockport, MA as part of their PTO Auction. I hope that your gift basket got big bids and raised money for your cause! Thank you for including my soaps.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Here is how I have the soap samplers set out at market. On the back of each business card is written all the fragrances of the soaps inside that gift box. They are selling very well, as many people buy them for hostess gifts, little soaps for the gym or traveling or just to try some of my soaps.

Soap Samplers are available only at market and only by chance. They sell quickly! (but you can send me an email or give me a call, I know the gal that makes these up and she would be happy to help you get your hands on one or two).

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Spring has sprung here in the Northeast and we are all anxious to get out and plant! How about you? What are you planning or planting? I am just in the planning stages. I have raked out the flower beds and uncovered the bulbs that are just starting to push their green shoots out after a long winter nap. I raked and cleaned up the veggie garden and have been planning (and day dreaming) of fresh summer tomatoes and crisp cucumbers. Digging in the dirt is tough on our hands! My Gardeners Scrub is loaded with Cornmeal and Poppy Seeds to help scrub that dirt right off. Fragranced with fresh Lemon Verbena. Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter and more help keep your hands moisturized as you wash wash wash away the dirt.

A quick look at how I have been displaying the new Dryers Sachets at market. I use galvanized tubs to display most of my items, and this add to the old fashion look. The chalkboard helps point out a few of the super awesome qualities of the Dryers Sachets.

I found these neat plaster hands a few weeks ago at TJ MAXX. I thought they could be soo cool holding my soap, and they are! They are elevated by a 6" rod on a square base, so they stand a bit above the table. They attract a good deal of attention and I usually put a bar of soap in them that not as many people are drawn too, tyring to entice them to smell something different.

A customer and I worked out a little special delivery for Easter Sunday. I was headed North for some dinner at my folks and she was only 15 minutes away from there, could we met in the middle? She realllly wanted to try a few of my soap fragrances that her local retail store just didn't carry at the moment. And really, this happens often. I did something similar about 3 weeks ago. A customer emailed. Her husband had some out of town clients (really out of town ~ Korea!) and wanted them to have some of my handmade soaps to bring back to their wives. I was happy to meet up with you Holly! Thanks for sending my soaps along to Korea. And so nice to meet you on Sunday Maria! Enjoy your soaps.

If you are not able to make it to any of the Farmers Markets or the local retail stores are not carrying the soap fragrance that you desire, just send me and email, give me a call, send a note along and perhaps we can meet up for your very own special delivery.

I took a few action shots at the market this past weekend. Here are just a few of the many vendors at the market...

This is Mo. She makes these beautiful bird cookies, that are, well, cookies for birds! See those pretty sunflowers hanging over her shoulder? Those are made out of birdseed! She also makes smaller bird cookies (which she is packaging up for this customer) into the shapes of hearts with beautiful flowers pressed into the cookies.

Rick and Christine of Gryffon Ridge Spice Merchants sell spices, herbs and fancy smancy blends for any and all of your cooking and baking needs. I have counted and in my cabinets as of today, I have 18 of their spices/herbs/blends (they're really really good)!

Sarah of Spring Day Creamery makes her own cheese! It is soo good and creamy. Jinger makes and sells vintage style aprons under the cute name Yo' Mamma's Apron Strings. Her daughter Zoe creates some beautiful jewelry that is also for sale. Angela of The Craftin' Scot does all sorts of hand knitting and sewn items. Find things like knit washcloths, bandannas for dogs (see on the little Scottie dog in the foreground), hats, scarves, and the most beautiful sweaters.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Saturday at market, an older gentleman came by my table pointed to the shaving soap and exclaimed for all to hear "that is the best shaving soap I have ever used!". Wow! My goodness! Thank you very much.

Find Me At The Farmers Market...

Farmers Markets

Brunswick Winter Market

Saturdays 9-12:30

Inside Ft. Andross, Maine St. Brunswick

Opening Day Is Saturday November 8th!!

Welcome to Casco Bay Soap Co. Blog...

Welcome to the Casco Bay Soap Co. blog! Offering a visual record, journal, news, resources, events and projects both in and out of the soap studio. In addition to selling in season at local Farmer Markets & Craft Fairs, this blog was started to document our process as the business grows.